Deaths

BARNES AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Massachusetts -- Rose M. Kinney (Lt. Col. Chris "Biggs" Bigelow's grandmother)
ASHLAND Rose M. (Palumbo) Kinney, 85, a lifelong resident of Ashland, passed away June 21, 2008, in Milford. She was the wife of Gordon Kinney, who died in 2004. Born in Haverhill, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Lucy (Moscaritolo) Palumbo. She is survived by one daughter, Geraldine Bigelow and her husband, Howard, of Bellingham; one sister, Elizabeth Connor of Homestead, Fla.; one brother, Ralph Palumbo of Ashland; two grandchildren, Beth Bigelow of Bellingham and Christian Bigelow of Montgomery; three great-grandchildren, Sarah Bigelow, Krista Humphrey and Dakota Bigelow. A funeral service were held on Saturday, June 28, at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of the Matarese Funeral Home, 325 Main St., Ashland. Calling hours were held one hour prior to service time.


Shirley A. Gaskalka (Master Sgt. Mark Gaskalka's mom) 
CHESHIRE-Shirley A. Gaskalka, 68, of 1313 Windsor Rd., died Saturday afternoon, July 19, 2008, at the North Adams Regional Hospital. Born in Adams on June 25, 1940, daughter of the late Albert and Alma DuBois Mayotte she attended Adams Elementary schools and graduated from the former St. Joseph High School in North Adams in 1958. She first worked for the former First Agricultural Bank in Adams as a Teller, until she attended the former LaBarons Hairdressing School in Pittsfield, after which she worked in hairdressing for several years. Her last place of employment was working in the cafeteria at the Hoosac Valley High School in Cheshire. Mrs. Gaskalka was a communicant of St. Mary of Assumption Church in Cheshire. She enjoyed spending time with her family. Besides her husband, Raymond Gaskalka, whom she married on September 7, 1963, she is survived by 1 son, Mark Gaskalka and his wife Sherri of Westfield, Ma. 1 daughter, Holly Doktor and her husband Chris of Oxford, Alabama. 1 sister, Bernadette Galipeau of Hollywood, Fla. 1 grandson, Joseph Doktor and nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by 1 sister, Lucille Trottier.

The funeral for Shirley A. Gaskalka took place Friday, July 25, 2008 at 10AM at the Trottier Pringle Funeral Home, 6 Summer St., Adams. With the a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11AM in St. Mary of Assumption Church in Cheshire. Burial followed in Bellevue Cemetery. Calling hours at the funeral home wereThursday from 4 to 7PM. Donations in her memory can be made to the Berkshire Humane Society through the funeral Home.


Mary L. Jacques (Capt. Mary Harrington's aunt)
Mary L. "Mayme" Diehl Jacques of Winchendon, MA, and Vero Beach, FL, born January 6, 1929 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, died on June 6, 2008, in her home at Vero Beach, with family and friends around her.In the Korean War, she was stationed at the 121st Evacuation Hospital in Pusan, in 1951-52. As a Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps, she was the youngest Army Nurse in Korea at that time.

During her long and impressive nursing career, she was Director of Nurses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Medical Infirmary; the Director of Nurses at Athol Memorial Hospital in Athol, MA; and the Director of Nurses at the Winchendon Hospital in Winchendon, Massachusetts before its closing. At other times, she performed social work for the town of Winchendon and accrued many years nursing in the Veterans' Administration Hospital in Rutland, Massachusetts, before its closing. After graduating from Murdock High School, Class of 1946, in Winchendon, Mrs. Jacques attended and graduated from Mount Auburn Hospital School of Nursing in Cambridge, MA. After serving several years in the Army Nurse Corps, she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing from Boston College School of Nursing and a Masters Degree in Nursing Administration from Boston University.

She was the daughter of the late Ralph G. and Yvonne D. Diehl also of Winchendon. Survivors include her husband, William "Bill" A. Jacques of Vero Beach; sister, Yvonne "Gerry" Harrington; brother-in-law, Robert N. Harrington of Winchendon; and sister-in-law, Lillian A. Hall Diehl of Danvers, MA. She also leaves step-daughter, Kathy Jacques of Damariscotta, Maine; step-sons: William W. Jacques of Anchorage, Alaska and Stephen Jacques of Chelsea, Maine, and nine living nieces and nephews of the Harrington and Diehl families, plus twenty-four grandnieces and nephews and four great grandnieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by two brothers: Ralph G. Diehl Jr. and Anton B. Diehl III, also nephew, Anton "Tony" B. Diehl IV.

Services in Winchendon will be at the Church at Old Centre on August 21 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her name, to the W.P. Clark Memorial YMCA, 155 Central St., Winchendon, MA 01475.